Ministry ordered to help crisis-affected students<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has ordered Ministry of
\nEducation officials and university rectors to help students with
\nfinancial difficulties so they can continue their studies.<\/p>\n
The President said he gave special attention to university
\nstudents because the nature's fortune and future depended on the
\nlevel and quality of education for the next generation.<\/p>\n
"The current monetary crisis has a large influence on how
\neducation is being organized, (affecting) not only the
\ngovernment, but also society, educators and students themselves,"
\nthe President told ministerial officials in a ceremony to mark
\nNational Education Day on Saturday at the State Palace.<\/p>\n
The day coincided with the birthday of Ki Hajar Dewantara, who
\nfounded the nationalistic Taman Siswa learning institution in the
\n1920s.<\/p>\n
The current economic turmoil has caused severe problems for
\nmany students, including university students, as many parents
\nhave lost their sources of income, while prices continue to soar.<\/p>\n
"Higher education institutes, which we have been building and
\ndeveloping for a long time, must be sustained as the source for
\nthe nation's future leadership," Soeharto said.<\/p>\n
In attendance at the ceremony were Vice President B.J.
\nHabibie, Minister of Education and Culture Wiranto Arismunandar,
\nand Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare and Poverty
\nAlleviation Haryono Suyono.<\/p>\n
The President said the education sector had made encouraging
\nprogress, especially with the government's compulsory education
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
Introduced in 1994 to encourage all children to go to school,
\nthe program states that students must complete a minimum of nine
\nyears education.<\/p>\n
At that time, 5.6 million of the country's 13.4 million
\nchildren could not continue their studies to junior high school
\nlevel.<\/p>\n
"In 1997 the number (of unschooled children) dropped to 3.7
\nmillion children. We hope that the compulsory education goal can
\nbe achieved before the end of the Seventh Five-Year Development
\nPlan," Soeharto noted.<\/p>\n
Analysts and government officials have acknowledged economic
\nhardships were one of the key motives behind the current student
\ndemonstrations.<\/p>\n
"Many students in Yogyakarta have to stay in mosques because
\nthey can no longer afford to pay their room rent," Minister of
\nInformation Alwi Dahlan said recently.<\/p>\n
National Education Day was celebrated in merry ceremonies at
\nall schools and universities across the country.<\/p>\n
All 27 provincial governors led ceremonies and read out
\nWiranto's written address. Teachers and ministry officials who
\nhave worked as civil servants for 10, 20 and 30 years received
\nmedals from the government in appreciation for their loyal
\nservice.<\/p>\n
Central Java Governor Soewardi announced that he had allocated
\nRp 204 million (US$2.5 million) to help students of local
\nelementary school and Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (Islamic primary
\nschool) pay their final examination fees.<\/p>\n
"With this subsidy, a Madrasah student only needs to pay Rp
\n1,445 from the original Rp 3,375 fee, while state school students
\nare fully subsidized by the government," Antara quoted Soewardi
\nas saying.<\/p>\n
In Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, head of the education
\nministry's office Moh. Kosim said the province needed 700 new
\nteachers per year while the central government agreed to employ
\nonly 500 teachers.<\/p>\n
In Bali, 568 elementary schools, working in remote areas in
\nthe province, received Rp 50,000 each from Governor Ida Bagus Oka
\nin a brief ceremony. (prb)<\/p>",
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